Seattle Lyft driver rewarded for 'uplifting' year

A Seattle Lyft driver who has given more rides than any other driver in the city is being recognized for his kindness and commitment.

When Lyft leaders first called him, Lamont Bennie thought he was going to be a part of a commercial, but he quickly learned that they were going to send him on an all-expense paid trip around the world.

“When I got down there, we were shooting, and in the process of shooting, I received a letter informing me that they had decided to help me complete my bucket list. And I had no idea. It was a complete shock,” Bennie said.

Bennie has been the driver for more than 23,000 rides and the recipient of a lot of praise from passengers.

“In the last year alone, hundreds of passengers have written in about Lamont and they told us how he has, in big ways and small, uplifted them,” Lyft's Seattle General Manager Todd Kelsay said.

Bennie says his heart is filled with gratitude.

“I'm more humbled than I probably have ever been,” he said. “It's awesome to be recognized and to go and check out some more continents. I've been to a few places, but I haven't been to all the continents so I'm going to be able to get that out the way a lot faster so I'm going to.”

Now the big question is where he will go first?

“My first trip based on what Lyft has presented me with is going to be Australia. And it will be Australia and New Zealand, and that will complete that continent and then I'll go on from there,” Bennie said. “Pretty much what my plan is to miss the winter months of Seattle and be gone. Because the summer's here are so great so probably be gone most of the winter and then I'll be back home.”